To Walk in Fables
by CrimsonMagi94
Summary: The night after returning to Inaba, Yu Narukami has a strange dream. A dream where he wields a magic sword in a strange, otherworldly land. When he wakes, he thinks nothing of it. That is, until the dream continues the next night. Soon, as the lines between reality and fiction becomes blurred, Yu is left wondering; on which side does he stand? And on which side lies the truth?


Aaaand new story! Again!

*sigh* my inspiration has been going crazy, let me tell you. Anyway, for those of you wondering, this story is going to focus on the Persona 4 cast and the adventure that I have written out for them. Hurrah!

Fairytales will be involved. :)

Also, later there will be OCs, I'll say that right now. However, they are not going to be the main focus.

Pairings I have planned as a definite (since I know people will want to know):

YuXYosuke

KanjiXNaoto

And pairings that might happen, still not sure:

YukikoXChie

Also, none of these are established relationships. Meaning we get to go through the long haul of building them up! :D

Anyway, onto the chapter! I hope you all enjoy!

Obligatory Disclaimer: I own nothing.

* * *

Wake Up

_The sea of unconsciousness. The vast, endless ocean of memory and thought, flowing in and out of mind like the ebb and flow of the tide. One thought bleeds into another, one facade melds into the next, crashing and churning together like waves pounding against the shore before finally sliding back into the ocean once more, leaving only fragmented pieces of half-remembered dreams behind. Over that, across the sea, across time and space, the sound of a voice sings a mournful tune._

_ He stands on the white-washed shore alone. No, not quite alone. Even here, he can feel the familiar threads of those whose lives he's touched, those cords that keep him grounded. They thrum with life, with light, unbroken, whole, and true. He knows this place. He's been here before._

_ But the voice . . . that voice which sang such a solemn, lonely song . . . that was new. He tries to call to it, to ask why it sang so forlornly, but his voice catches in his throat and forces him to silence. But it's then the voice stops._

Child? Child, can you hear me?

_A new conscious, unfamiliar and strange, breaks against the shore and brushes against his own, and he nearly recoils from the unwelcome intrusion. _

Please . . . please don't fear me. I am not your enemy.

_Who are you, is what he wants to ask. But again, the words remain unforthcoming._

I cannot answer now. But, child, if truly you are real, then listen to me now; you are in danger! You cannot stay here! Now wake up, child! Wake up!

_Wake up . . . the words seem to echo in his mind and over the sea, over and over again until it fades to silence._

* * *

Yu woke to silence save for the soft trilling of the morning birds outside, mind still sleep-fogged but relaxed as he took time to savor the memory of the previous day. Of his friends all gathered around the table with smiles on their faces and affectionate warmth in their eyes, of Marie's thrilled greeting and declaration through the T.V despite not actually being present, of his uncle resting idly on the couch, face one of quiet pleasure as he watched his daughter play and laugh like never before. And Nanako, dear Nanako, all energy and happiness, her laughter following Yu into his dreams that night and bringing a small smile to his face now as he thought of it.

And to know more days such as that followed only made his quiet bliss grow. He was finally _home_.

Rolling onto his back, Yu sighed in content as his head came in contact with a pleasantly cool spot on his pillow, enjoying the soft beams of light that fell through his window and brushed against his cheek, warning him. He'd have to get up soon if he wanted to get started on breakfast before everyone else in the household woke up. He was under no obligation to make it, true, but he enjoyed treating his family to food.

Especially if it spared them from his uncle's usual breakfast of coffee and buttered toast. Not that it was bad, but it did become a little much after the first three days.

The birds warm, fast-paced twitters suddenly seemed to get louder as Yu's mind rose out of it's sluggish lethargy, making Yu knit his eyebrows together in confusion. He hadn't left the window open, had he? Come to think of it, it _was_ a little bit breezier than it normally was, the air ghosting over his entire body and sending goosebumps along his skin. Huh, he must have been more tired than he'd thought last night.

The soft flap of lightly beating wings floated up past his ear and around his head, when suddenly a set of six thin, spiny legs landed on his lips.

"Ppft!" He spluttered, bolting up right as his hand swatted frantically as his mouth. The prickling sensation abruptly left, and Yu opened his eyes to see a small butterfly hovering in air before him. It's wings were small and circular, barely reaching the length of his pinkie, but what it lacked in size it made up for in beauty. Ordinarily, it's white wings wouldn't have been much to look at. But when the light hit them, it's wings seem to gain an unearthly quality, shimmering with an array of prismatic color that altered and changed with every new angle brought with a flap of it's wings. At one moment, the minute scales would gain a cast of blues and greens, and the next, hues of oranges and reds. Pink, gold, silver, purple, on and on and on, and Yu couldn't help but be mesmerized by the display of ever-shifting colors.

Tilting his head inquisitively to one side, he reached out to it, when the butterfly suddenly flitted up over his hand and flew passed his head, the tip of one wing brushing against his cheek with all the gentleness of a feather. The sensation immediately snapped Yu back to his present, and he immediately began to wonder how the butterfly had gotten into his room.

But when he turned around to look for where the intrepid bug had floated off too, all thought came to an abrupt halt.

Trees were all around him, as far as the eye could see. Huge, gnarled, ancient things with trunks as wide as Dojima's house, if not _wider_, and so impossible tall they all seemed to meld into the leafy roof formed by their interlocking branches. The wood was thick and warped, huge crevices running between the bark and crenellating it with lines shadows that made the wood look like it had been etched with ink. Huge swathes of lichen and moss blanketed the trees, shooting the brown bark with veins of emerald, while the ground below was covered by a never-ending sea of soft, springy grass as green as a newborn leaf. The roots of the giant trees knuckled up and out of the ground in many places, twisting overhead like a series of convoluted Roman arches made of bark and thick tufts of moss instead of stone. One root even arced over his own head, sheltering him inside a small den of moss and wood that actually made him feel a little safer, though he wondered at the soundness of that. Overhead, Yu could see brief snatches of the blue sky between the thick foliage above, as well as soft rays of sunlight that pierced through the leaves and dotted the ground with patches of golden light, the beams seeming incredibly small and fragile amid the giants around them. A gentle breeze wafted by right then, and the light and sky were swallowed as the leaves rolled together into an indistinguishable mass of green, and Yu watched as a flurry of colored birds broke away from the roiling branches and flew farther into the forest, taking their songs with them. The forest floor immediately seemed darker, quieter, and colder.

_Where the hell am I,_ he thought in unabashed shock, eyes trailing from one tree to the next in silent mystification. Wherever he was, it sure as hell was not his room!

Swallowing nervously and forcing himself to calm down and think, Yu carefully rose to his feet and examined his surroundings, a whole host of different scenarios running through his mind to try and explain his current predicament. The last thing he recalled was falling to sleep in the spare bedroom given to him by his uncle. If someone had somehow managed to sneak in to try and kidnap him, there was no way Yu would have slept through that. He also threw out sleep walking as a possibility, because he didn't sleepwalk. And even if any of the above had happened, where exactly had he wound up? It couldn't be Inaba, because he knew for a fact that there were no trees this big _anywhere _near the town. But if it wasn't Inaba, then where?

"I can't . . ." he started slowly, looking from left to right and seeing no other possible explanation, "I can't be in the T.V, can I?"

As hard as that was to believe, he couldn't throw that possibility out like the others. If anything, it was the only other option that might potentially explain his displacement, but even then, he'd never seen a place like this inside it before.

There was one way to be sure. If he was wrong . . .

Taking a deep breath, he held his hand up before his face and _called_, reaching deep into his own mind to grasp for that familiar cord of power he knew to be sleeping inside him.

Only to come back with nothing.

Izanagi-no-Okami _was_ there, Yu could feel him, but the thread that connected the two was no more substantial to him that it would be anywhere else in the real world. No matter how hard he could call, he knew that his persona would not, _could_ not, come to him.

Dropping his arm back to his side, he let out the breath he'd been holding as he came to terms with the reality; he wasn't in the T.V world. But that just made him wonder all the more fiercely as to where he was and how he'd gotten here. There had to be an explanation somewhere . . .

A thought occurred to him then, one that would have made him laugh if not for the absurd situation he was in. It was far-fetched and ridiculous. But it may be the only other reason he could make that didn't involve being abducted by aliens.

"Am I . . . still dreaming?" he said softly. Then, he took a single, solitary step out of the small den he'd awoken in, feeling his foot sink into the moss outside.

As if he'd dropped a stone into a pond, the disturbance his footfall made seemed to ripple outward, and suddenly his vision was obscured by a flurry of white, iridescent wings. Yu watched in awe as butterflies in their countless thousands rose up from the forest floor, each wing shimmering with ethereal colors that created the illusion of a rainbow that thrummed with a life all it's own. It was more beautiful than words could describe.

The butterflies rose upward before floating farther into the forest, looking like a giant, looming cloud of white that stood out expressively against the dark background of the trees. Only a few stragglers remained, flitting to and fro from here to there, some even lazily hovering around Yu himself. The intense color faded away with their departure, leaving a faint afterimage of pink streaked through his vision, yet Yu couldn't find it in himself to care.

_Come . . . _

The sound of a voice, ephemeral, distant, and soft as a moth's wings, instantly snapped Yu out of his dazzled trance, eyes shooting forward as he vainly tried to locate it's source. Yet not matter where he looked, all he could see were the arched roots and the insects that still meandered over the mossy dew. Of a person (if it was a person who had spoken) there was no sign.

"Who's there?" he asked, eyes now narrowed with suspicion and wariness.

_Come . . ._

Again it came, only this time it was more insistent, more forceful. Almost . . . desperate.

A soft, airy sensation suddenly ghosted over his hand, as light as a feather, and Yu's eyes snapped down to see that a butterfly had alighted on his hand, iridescent wings opening and closing in a steady, constant rhythm. Lifting it slowly so as to not startle the insect, he brought his hand close enough to his face the Yu thought he could make out each individual scale on the bug's wings, each one glimmering like a tiny pearl.

With a brusque flap, the insect rose off his hand, fluttering down to the mossy embankment of a large root that twisted over a narrow strip of grassy earth, the bottom of which Yu could see was filled with a shallow pool of crystalline water.

The butterfly hovered just in front of the bridge, a ray of golden sunshine lighting across it's otherworldly wings and making it shine like an orb of translucent color, a wisp made of ethereal light. It was almost as if . . . it were waiting for him . . .

_Come . . ._

And then the butterfly began to float across the root, flying deeper into the strange wood. With no other choice save to deviate away from the insect's path and become hopelessly lost, Yu steeled his nerves and followed.

The butterfly's trail seemed to loop everywhere, reaching deeper and deeper into the forest, until Yu knew he had absolutely no chance of finding his way back to the beginning without help. Wherever this bug was taking him, it had better hold some answers. As he walked, keeping a watchful eye on the insect he was following (he wondered at the sense of that), he became aware of other butterflies that began to congregate around him, hovering lazily about as Yu traveled through the woods. He eventually had to become careful not to loose sight of the one leading him, though all the butterflies seemed to be heading to the same location, wherever that was.

Rounding the base of another large tree, Yu saw that the butterfly float under the imposing arch of another large root, vanishing behind the trails of curling ivy that formed a curtain of flowering vines along the opening. Pushing the vines aside with a sweep of his hand, Yu quickly ducked into the hole and stepped into the glade beyond.

Compared to the rest of the forest, the dale was actually quite confined and small (though still larger than he was comfortable with), bordered on all side by the twisting wall of a root that curled into a surprisingly smooth circle around it. The only way in or out was the archway of wood he'd passed through, curtained though it was by the ivy sheet hanging before it. The grass here was fresh and new, and small, colorful flowers budded up in patches along the ground, perfuming the air with their sweet, floral scent. At the heart of the glade, Yu saw a smooth patch of stone surrounded by seven small columns of rock, each pillar etched with intricate runes and lines that seamlessly bled into eachother. Around that was a small, circular brook of clear water, so perfectly still it appeared to have been carved from a sheet of glass. Butterflies milled about in small flocks around the glade, some flitting about the flowers, others clinging to the ivy, as still others merely floated along through the air, content with just that. It was . . . the only word Yu could think to describe it with was serene, and even that failed to describe the sense of peace and calm that pervaded the entire area. Like a tiny, infinitesimal slice of paradise that had gone untouched by man for numberless eons, unbothered by all, even time.

Was this truly reality? If he hadn't doubted himself before, he did now.

The butterfly he had followed here, he saw, had taken up residence on a small protrusion that stuck out right at the heart of the smooth rock, wings folded patiently along it's back as it waited for him to approach.

And approach he did, curiosity overcoming his sense of caution as he edged closer to the stone, examining the protrusion with interested eyes. As he came closer, the warm stone below warming the soles of his bare feet, more details began to become clear. It was then Yu saw the protuberance for what it really was.

The hilt of a sword.

It seemed so out of place that Yu only felt confusion. What was such a weapon doing in such a peaceful place? Whatever the reason, it must have been here for some time, as strings of ivy wrapped around the hilt in clusters, as if they were tying it place so none could take it. With a slow pace, Yu carefully reached out and began to gingerly pull the ivy off, revealing more of the hilt as the weak vines fell away.

The grip was just a bit longer than the width of his hand, and was wrapped in a smooth sheave of white leather, clear of any blemishes despite it's age, perfect for holding. The cross-guard was perpendicular to the rest of the blade, the points ending in two upturned curves with delicate tracery engraved into the metal on each side. The pommel was roughly the size of silver dollar, with a smooth, oval diamond set into the hilt that was bordered by a ring of silver metal, which girded it in place. The gem was so pure and clear the light passed easily through it, sending tiny fractals of prismatic light skittering across the flat surface of the stone that held it. Just barely, Yu could see the flat edge of the actual sword before it was swallowed up by the rock beneath it. Even though it was just a small piece of the blade, Yu couldn't help but be fascinated by it, the workmanship a sight to behold and marvel at.

_Take it . . ._

This time, the voice did not draw a stunned reaction from him like it did before. In fact, Yu did not react to it at all. The urge to take the sword, all-encompassing and inescapable, was a feeling he remembered experiencing before. Long ago, right before his life was swept up into a story of trialing after a murderer and solving the mystery of another world. Back . . . when he had first summoned Izanagi to his side.

It was the sort of certainty that was so compelling that it seemed to be the only right decision to make, no matter what other options lay before you. And Yu was certain . . . that this sword had been waiting here for him. As absurd as it would sound to most, right then, it was the one thing Yu knew to be true.

So, without any trace of hesitation or fear, he reached out and clasped the hilt in his hand.

Light flared up from the cracks where the blade protruded from before just as suddenly bleeding out over the stone like runnels of liquid light, the rivulets soon pooling against the carved pillars around him and running clean into the crystal water of the brook. Immediately, the light began to run up the black runes and lines of the pillars and made the once bland, cracked stone glow with runes composed of otherworldly light. The water, once clear and empty, began to take on a pearlescent hue, the surface shining like a mirror reflecting the light of the sun, the stars, and the moon, making every shadow in the glade was vanish as the glow intensified to a blinding degree.

But Yu wasn't afraid. Far from it. In fact, he felt energized, electrified, ready to take on the world and back again as power coursed through his arm to his very core, bright and brilliant and _amazing_! Had he been in more of a mind to think, he would have marveled at the similarities between this and the summoning of his first persona. But right now, he just didn't _care_.

Rising to his feet, confident smile tweaking the corners of his lips, he gripped the hilt hard and pulled, feeling the sword give way completely and slide free.

The light from the pillars and brook instantly died, but the glow remained, held at a constant due to the shining blade he now held in his hand. And even as that faded, Yu could only stare at the sword's unearthly beauty. The blade possessed an unusually silver sheen, as if liquid moonlight had been poured over the sword during it's crafting. The blade tapered out from the thick, sturdy fuller to thin, smooth edges that looked as if they could cut through solid steel, the razor-thin edge looking almost crystalline in texture and density. Unable to resist, Yu gave it an experimental swing.

The blade seemed to sing through the air, the smooth edge meeting with almost no wind resistance as the edge glinted and shone. Holding it upright, Yu looked it up and down in admiration, "This . . . is a good sword."

The quiet moment of approbation didn't last long, however, as that was when the ivy behind him rustled with movement. Shoulders tensing in trepidation and alarm, Yu spun around to face whatever it was who had just entered the glade.

The ivy rustled again, the green-brown curtain swaying, and two large, burly shapes pushed their way into view. In form, they resembled wolves, though they were much, much bigger than any wolves Yu had ever seen. Their black fur was course and matted in many spots, the shaggy hair encrusted with a resin of dark red that looked eerily similar to congealed blood. Their shoulders were unnaturally stocky and broad for wolves, their front legs even more so, and Yu could see, even from here, the corded muscle that bunched up beneath their skin with every lumbering step they took. The size of their front paws, each finger tapped with a wicked looking claw, were more bear-like, in all honesty. Their muzzles, undeniably lupine in shape and size, were home to absolutely massive fangs, the longest being almost the same size as his middle finger. Yu didn't fancy the idea of those things sinking into him. And judging from the way the wolf-creatures growled, the way their jaws snapping together hungrily, Yu was willing to put money on the bet that these things were far from friendly.

Yellow eyes, full of malice and hunger, locked with his, and the world seemed to stand still in breathless anticipation.

_Do not be afraid._

Yu's eyes involuntarily widened as the voice spoke again, not soft and weak like before, but powerfully, like peeling bells ringing at their height.

_These creatures mean you harm, but you have no reason to fear them. They are weak. Now, defend yourself!_

One of the wolves snarled, and Yu twisted to the left just as it sprung at him, it's wicked fangs missing him by an inch as he dodged just in the nick of time. On sheer reflex honed from months of fighting, he twisted his wrist and arm so the sword's edge ran perpendicular to the great beast before swinging it up to strike the wolf in the side, right where it's ribs would be. To his amazement, his hand met with very little in the way of resistance as the tip sliced cleanly through the creature's flesh as if it were made of butter, cutting deep enough that Yu felt the blade nick against bone.

The creature howled as it struck the ground, rolling onto it's side and smashing into one of the pillars around the slab, the column crumbling to dust under the creature's massive weight. Several blocks fell into the brook, sending a wave of water sloshing over the side while several beaded droplets flew up into the air and spattered across the stone, peppering it with flecks of dark grey. The beast unsteadily clambered back to it's feet, huffing and panting. Blood oozed from the gaping wound in it's side, painting the grass and stone red as it drew it's lips back into a snarl, yellow eyes glaring at him hatefully.

Yu gritted his teeth at the sight, worry rising up from within. Shadows didn't bleed. But if these things weren't Shadows, then what _were_ they? And how was he going to defeat both without the help of his personas, or his friends? Their absence now only drove in how much he'd relied on them in combat, and it punctuated just how alone he was right now.

_No . . ._ he thought determinedly, gripping the hilt tight, _No matter how far away I am, I am not alone. And even if I don't have my personas, that doesn't mean I'm helpless._

He had to believe that. Wherever he was, the bonds he had made would never fade, of that he was certain. And that thought alone was enough to bolster his courage and abate his fear.

He would win. No matter what.

Like the whisper of the wind, the voice spoke again with distinct approvable, _And that is why the sword chose you, the one with the heart who holds the love of many. The one with the heart that is never alone. And you are far from alone now, child! These beasts pose no threat to you with such resolve! Now, face your enemy, and _succeed!

Another conscious, familiar yet not, brushed against his own, and Yu felt new energy flow into him, and through him, the sword. The crystal edges of the sword began glow bright, alive with power, and the silver blade began to _shine_.

Behind him, the other wolf, who had been circling around the edge of the glade, now took charge, clearing the distance between them in three loping bounds, using one paw to beat aside another pillar that obstructed it's path. The stone crashed into the ground with an uproarious amount of noise, shattering on impact and sending bits of crumbled stone clattering across the slab he stood on.

Rearing up on it's hind legs like a bear, the creature attacking him gave a fierce roar before raising one huge paw up in preparation to strike. Seeing the swing coming, Yu ducked down and ran forward right as it's paw came down, feeling the claws_ swish_ over the back of his neck and collar and just barely missing. Seeing an opening, Yu took it and drove the now glowing sword as deep as he could drive it into the creature's gut before running forward and slashing through it's side, leaving a huge cleave in the creature's stomach that seemed to burn and sizzle, belting streams of black smoke as if the blade had somehow caught it insides on fire.

Howl quickly dissolved into a piteous whine, the wolf-thing stumbled forward before falling to the ground, choking on it's last breath before it's body abruptly dissolved into a pool of smoky blackness, which just as quickly dispersed into the air. With a sizzle, Yu watched as the blood on the blade evaporated into nothing, leaving it as pristine as it had been when he'd first pulled it out.

Turning his eyes to the remaining wolf, he watched it closely as it circled him, fangs bared savagely as it sized up it's chances of victory.

It reached it's decision soon, for suddenly it turned away and bolted back through the ivy, vanishing into the forest beyond with a roar that shook the ground as it retreated. Soon, Yu ceased to hear it's lumbering footfalls, the silence of the glade returning once more.

Unsure if he was safe just yet, though counting his lucky stars that he'd escaped injury during the fight, he lowered the weapon so it's tip grazed lightly against the rock, eyes and ears open for anything that could be taken as a threat.

That was when the glow of the blade died, and suddenly a wave of exhaustion slammed into him _hard_, making his head reel as he stumbled back. He would have fallen straight over too, had his back not hit one of the pillars first, allowing him to slide to the floor and avoid a potential concussion. The sword fell from his suddenly weak hand, clattering against the stone with a ring that made his already pounding head hurt even more. Then it lay still, silver blade glimmering like a bar of solid moonlight against mottled stone.

What . . . what had happened? Why did he suddenly feel so utterly _exhausted_?

Yu's eyelids drooped heavily, nearly passing out right then and there. It was only through sheer force of will that he didn't.

_I can't . . . fall asleep here! _he thought, fighting to stay awake, _More of those things could be out there!_

But it soon proved to be a useless endeavor, as his sudden fatigue began to win out. On the edge of his rapidly fading vision, for just a moment, he thought he saw the image of a person, a woman, maybe, but then his eyes drooped closed, and sleep began to fog over his mind.

Just before consciousness left completely, however, he thought he heard the voice speak once more in his mind, _Rest now, child. You are safe. I will see to that._

Then the voice began to sing.

* * *

Yu's eyes shot open, staring in confusion at the slate grey color of the ceiling before sitting up and looked from left to right, heart pounding.

His room. He was in his room. The T.V pressed against the wall was unmoved, the desk and chair were exactly where they out to be, the window was closed, and the curtains were drawn tight. Bird song echoed faintly from the other side of the closed glass, muffled and indistinct, but very real.

Shoulders slumping forward, he sighed and fell back against the pillow, hearing the bed squeak under his weight as he did so.

"Just a dream . . ." he said softly, coming to terms with that fact. Although, it had definitely been a hell of a lot more vivid and cohesive than most of his (rare) dreams usually were. Which accounted for why his nerves felt so electrified, a symptom of adrenaline that thankfully was already subsiding.

With an amused smile, he shook his head. Definitely vivid . . . but thinking about it, he couldn't deny how cool it had been. Wasn't every night he got to visit a strange fantasy land where he wielded a magic sword and got to slay giant monsters, let alone _feel_ like he was actually there. Definitely better than weird, cryptic dreams about fog and shadows and murders and Velvet Rooms, which had become something of a norm during his year-long stay at Inaba.

Not that such dreams troubled him now. In fact, he dared say he appreciated the little gem of a dream he'd had last night. A welcome break from monotony.

Glancing at the clock on his wall, he saw that it was almost seven thirty. The residents of the Dojima household would be waking up soon. Which meant he better get up and get snappy with breakfast!

After all, today was going to be a busy day! But it was one he was looking forward too immensely.

* * *

Oooh, tricky tricky. What's happening here? Dream? Or reality?

Stay tuned to find out! :D

Rate and review, if you so desire!


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